This is Halloween
by Sgt.Pepperony
Summary: Five vignettes of less than four hundred words. Tony comes up with a new way to carve pumpkins, Thor meets a fan, Bruce is the Scrooge of Halloween, Jane and Wanda go see a movie and Pietro learns the art of pranking from Natasha and fails. K plus due to minor language. *Complete*
1. Tony and Pepper

**Title: **This is Halloween  
><strong>Author:<strong> Sgt. Pepperony  
><strong>Fandom: <strong>Avengers (MCU)  
><strong>Rating:<strong> K+ due to minor language.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not own the Avengers, characters. Title from _A Nightmare Before _Christmas. Updates on 22nd, 24th, 27th and 30th.

Tony and Pepper

Pepper had always gotten into carving pumpkins during the Halloween season. Part of the reason is because she could save the flesh inside for soups or pies but she liked coming up with different ideas for designs. It also provided her with an opportunity to let some of her frustrations out.

However Tony had decided to take over the duty of carving pumpkins for the upcoming Halloween party. Not because of some patriarchal reason but because he wanted to test whether a laser could do the carvings.

"Tony, where are all the pumpkins?" she asked coming into the workshop.

"In that crate over there," he pointed to the box in the corner of the room.

"Why are they not in the kitchen?"

"I have come up with the most simple and genius way of carving pumpkins."

"Using a power tool?"

"Laser," he said proudly.

"Oh my," Pepper put her fingers against her forehead. "JARVIS why did you not tell him that this is a really stupid idea."

"I did Ms Potts."

"Just watch and learn Pepper," Tony said. Tony placed the pumpkin on the table in front of the laser. "Goggles on."

Pepper sighed and put the goggles she had found on the side. She watched as Tony pressed a button on the computer and the laser cut a smiley face into the pumpkin.

Once it was done, Tony smirked proudly, "So what do you think?"

"Where are you supposed to put the candle?"

"In the… I did not really think about that."

"Clearly. Tony I can do the pumpkins myself. I enjoy doing it."

"But-"

"Look I enjoy doing it because it means that I can let my frustrations out."

"What frustrations?"

"The fact that you keep doing stupid things like this for a start."

"Let's face it, I have done dumber things."

"Okay, that is true. Seriously though, I just need to vent on something once in a while. Being CEO is not exactly easy."

"I know."

"Tony you spent more time drinking and sleeping with women than actually being CEO."

"I designed stuff. I just had someone else doing the business stuff, which in retrospect probably was not the greatest idea."

"It depends on the person."

"And you call me cocky."


	2. Thor and Darcy

Thor and Darcy

"Oh my god, those mini Avengers costumes look absolutely adorable!" Darcy exclaimed when she dragged Thor into another costume store.

"I suppose though I do not understand why you have taken me to another costume shop."

"I need a Halloween costume. I told you this when we left."

"Is this a traditional custom?"

"Probably just in America. I think England does it but to less extremes."

"Do I need a costume?"

"If you want, I cannot imagine what you would wear though."

"What about that?" Thor pointed to the navy uniform.

"I'm not sure. I think it's more for the bedroom if you understand what I am saying."

"I'm afraid I do not."

"I'll explain later. Though you could become a ghost navy officer."

"Sounds interesting."

"Excuse me," a woman asked approaching with a five-year-old girl. "My daughter Lizzy is convinced you are Thor of the Avengers."

"He is," Darcy interrupted before Thor could answer.

"Oh great, Lizzy loves you."

"Really?" asked Thor. Lizzy nodded.

"I want to be you for Halloween."

"Aw," Darcy commented.

"She's into all the prince and princess stuff at the moment," Lizzy's mother explained.

"Yeah and he has a rainbow bridge and long hair and a cape," Lizzy said.

"And really nice abs," Darcy added.

"Um…" Lizzy's mother stammered. "Is it okay if she can have your autograph?"

Thor's phone beeped and he found a message from Darcy:

*Just write a message and sign your name.*

When he looked he found her placing her phone in her pocket, "Certainly."

Lizzy handed a sheet of paper to Thor and he wrote a message down on the sheet

_You are one of the fairest maidens I have ever seen young Lizzy. Yours truly, Thor. _

"Thank you, Mr Thor."

"You are very welcome."

"Thank you very much," Lizzy's mother said. "For both the autograph and saving New York."

"His brother is a pain in the ass so he really needed to save New York," Darcy added.

"We're just going to leave now." The mother led Lizzy away as the little girl waved goodbye. Thor and Darcy wave back.

"Okay, let's get that Halloween costume," Darcy said turning back to Thor.


	3. Bruce and Clint

Bruce and Clint

"Okay, I am going to need some help decorating," Clint said putting the box of Halloween decorations while Bruce was trying to watch a movie on television.

"Christmas is not for two months."

"I am not decorating for Christmas; it's for Halloween."

"Why?"

"I want to make this a haunted house for the trick-or-treaters."

"This is an apartment."

"Point still stands. What is up with you? Do you not like Halloween or something?"

"Not particularly."

"Why so?"

"Well, it might have to do with this is the only day parents would send kids out on their own in the dark to knock on strangers doors and give them candy, when on any other day it would be grooming."

"Gee you really are the spirit of the holidays."

"My spirit starts at Thanksgiving. It's a holiday I can actually understand celebrating."

"Oh come on. It is just harmless fun. Kids love it and I'm certain that parents check for sex offenders in the area."

"It's not just that. Last year I had at least fifty people asking if I was going as Jekyll and Hyde for last year's Halloween party. It is not really helping the whole trying to be my own person with the Hulk being just a small part of me thing."

"Why don't you do what I do and just flip them off?"

"I'm not you."

"Well it usually works. No one gives me any shit."

"No I think it is because they know you could gauge their eyes out with one of your arrows."

"Well, why don't you make a point that you can turn into a giant green rage monster whenever you want?"

"Again, is not really helping the whole trying to be my own person with the Hulk being just a small part of me thing."

"I thought that was more for you than other people."

"Never mind. Look, I just don't want to be involved in this trick-or-treating thing. I might just go into the bedroom, put some headphones on and read a Steven King novel."

"Isn't the point of your aversion to Halloween to avoid everything associated with it? Horror stories included?"

"Not really," Bruce shook his head and left the living room.

Clint sighed then for some reason found himself whistling to the tune of 'You're a Mean One Mr Grinch'.


	4. Jane and Wanda

Jane and Wanda

"Are you okay Jane?" asked Wanda when they walked out the movie theatre from which they had just seen a horror movie.

"I did not realise that movie would be so … creepy," Jane responded. "Who knew that a movie called _Den of the Underground Phantom _would actually be somewhat frightening. I admit when I saw the title I thought it would be one of those trashy slasher movies."

"It was just a trashy slasher movie, whatever that is."

"Well, they did not have to invoke the creepy imagery."

"I thought it was more absurdist theatre than an actual movie. That bit where the woman was making a cup of tea and the juxtaposition of the woman being beaten to death is very much what absurdist theatre is about." Jane gave Wanda a strange look. "Tony has a book on theatre styles in that giant library of his."

"That makes some sense I guess. It's funny, I never thought you would be much of a horror fan."

"I guess there is the adrenaline rush and the unexpected twists. Granted a lot of the newer horror films are utterly cliché driven because I don't think Hollywood has an imagination anymore."

"Yeah you might have a point. The supernatural genre is being aimed at teenaged girls that are more interested in romance now rather than adults."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not in theory but the execution is questionable to say the least. Then again as a scientist, I cannot say I am much of a believer in the supernatural."

"I have magic powers."

"I think that is more a genetic thing than you going to Hogwarts. At least that is how Dr Banner explained it."

"I thought … Oh, muggle-borns."

"Do you think you believe in the supernatural?"

"Maybe. Sometimes I can feel things in the wind and voices. Whether they were spirits or just that feeling as though someone is walking over your grave."

"I'm going to go with the latter."


	5. Steve, Natasha and Pietro

Steve, Natasha and Pietro

"I really thought you would be above playing pranks on people Natasha," said Steve. He was standing with his arms folded while Natasha and Pietro were sitting on the couch as though they were children who had been naughty.

"Believe it or not, I do have a sense of humour," Natasha responded.

"I just went too far with the prank," Pietro confessed with his head down.

"It was going to be a simple jump scare but Pietro decided to go overboard with the fake blood."

"Overboard?" asked Steve astonished. "There is very little chance of it getting out the carpet. What were you thinking?"

"Okay, here was the plan: I was going to pretend to be a zombie and I was just going to scare you for two seconds. We would laugh about it afterwards," Pietro explained.

"What ended up happening was that he ended up getting some of the fake blood into his eye and then the tube of blood got squeezed very hard which is what called the red mark on the carpet. I had to take him to the hospital," Natasha added. "Hence the eye-patched."

"I'm thinking of going as a pirate for the Halloween party."

Steve did let out a small laugh, "Certainly a better idea than the zombie."

"We're sorry," said Pietro. Natasha gave him a look. "Okay, _I _am sorry."

"Well, I do accept your apology. While you might have to get me a rug for Christmas. However the next time you try to pull a prank, can you use less special effects makeup or maybe do the make up in the bathroom," said Steve.

"The next time?" asked Natasha.

"As it turns out that you are not above pranks, I feel as though I should expect some more."

"I could help you prank Stark if you want."

"That could be fun though nothing that is going to cause a heart attack."

The End


End file.
